amjamin

The brick-wall edifice still reverberates with the click of the hooves of the carriage drawn by horses, aristocracy in all their Sunday best, alighting and walking up the doorsteps. Life, etched in history, that travelled along the street of Cathedral Church of St Jago de la Vega, in its casual pace in the 18th Century has fast forwarded to cars zipping by on an overdrive, but it stands still, frozen in time. From the Spanish to the British, the cathedral stands testimony to almost two centuries of colonial rule in Jamaica. Interestingly, the building is also a confluence of their respective styles. “The structure (of the cathedral) is two buildings joined together at the point of the transepts and the chancel,” explained Bill Poinsett, chair, heritage committee, Cathedral Church of St Jago de la Vega. Like the chapters of history, it was built and razed and rebuilt - tracing its genesis to about 1525 on the site of the Spanish Chapel of the Red Cross. “Built in 1714,...

Tashanya Traile - self taught artist “Art found me, it was in me and all I had to do was to let it flow,” said Tashanya Traile, a young, self-taught artist. Traile says she is an artist inspired by personal experiences and struggles. “I love to transfer these experiences to canvas,” declared the 27-year-old, who chose to hang up her crisp business attire and embrace art and its myriad of shades. Traile was living in New Jersey, and one day the world of possibilities opened in front of her when when she walked into Michaels (an art supply store). The transformation had seeded, she said, as Traile was as delighted as a kid in a candy store. “There was so much in the store. I was so excited!” Artist Undressed - Traile embraces art in its many hues But this journey began not on a colourful path, but was mired in shades of grey, with detractions, naysayers and dissuasion. Her decision to tread a path of self expression was met with more resistance than encouragement; gloom...

“This is when the earthquake struck,” Captain Peter Gordon said, pointing at an artist’s rendition of 1692 earthquake at Port Royal capturing the chaos, destruction and the high waves that started to engulf the city. A tsunami of thoughts and scenes hit one’s mind, a flashback from the now quiet, serene façade of Fort Charles to an era where fables surrounding Port Royal, labelled as ‘wickedest’ place on earth, where one-eyed, one-legged pirates roamed, rum and silver flowed as freely as the waves of the Caribbean Sea surrounding it, romanticised notoriety in all its glory. Preserved in Fort Charles, Port Royal, are the remains and artefacts, which were excavated from the ruins, a collection that stands as a testimony to the richest city in the western hemisphere. The National Museum Jamaica-operated museum, housed in the fort, showcases items, which weaved those intriguing tales, and most of the items preserved in the glass showcases, speak of the vibrancy and diversity of...

To walk into the studio of Rafza Nehaul is to walk into a bazaar in the bylanes of India lively, vibrant. The colours and pungent aroma of the spices can get any olfactory to break into a party on the move ... yet her works stand frozen, capturing those elements. Nehaul’s work and media, in some essence, are a confluence of the world’s largest democracy. “I was awed with India when I went there,” Nehaul, a former science, biology and mathematics teacher, said. This visit commenced a love affair with the country’s colours, people and life, and became a series of India-centric pieces the maharaja (king) in his opulence, and the ‘big fat Indian wedding’ with the brides in their glittering finery taking the centrestage. Her travels to India were, in essence, the heady mix of spices, ground on stone to release their essential oils and then mixed to tantalise the tastebuds. “There are so many colours to inspire, and the spirit of the people is awe-inspiring,” Nehaul re...

Most potent things come in small packages, it is said, which might hold true for a landmass that can be traversed in half a day, point to point. The potency of creative juices is both intoxicating and a heady cocktail of cultures and media. Barbados, like the sister islands in the Caribbean, is one such melting pot, where the key ingredients of creative acumen, sprinkled with a liberal dose of inspiration are brewing under the crisp Caribbean sunshine. "There is a lot of talent here (in Barbados) and across the region," says Martina Pilé, president of Arts Council of Barbados. Pilé, a trained ceramist, who has made Barbados her home for the last 27 years, delves in various media, from painting, sketching and her island-found love, calabash - a fruit and a medium of expression. "We need avenues to showcase the talent," the newly installed president of the Arts Council said, adding that it is her dream to expand the scope of work of th...

With beats emanating from every corner of the island, music is as much a part of the character of Jamaica as the pristine beaches, the vast expanse of the turquoise seas and the delectable food. Among the strolling, suitcase-lugging transit passengers, varied hues and aroma of the Duty Free shops and the usual hustle and bustle at the departure lounge of Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) is a serene space that speaks volumes of Jamaican music. Visualising 50 Years of Jamaican Popular Music, showcases the diversity of Jamaica's musical genre dating back to the 19th century from the emergence of Mento to the 20th century sounds of Nyabinghi drums. The space at the lounge, transformed into a Jamaican musical time capsule, also captures other popular Jamaican music to include ska, rock steady, dub, reggae and dancehall. The space, according to the Institute of Jamaica, which is one of the partners of this exhibition, aims to engage the memorie...

On an October afternoon, as the sun played hide and seek among the clouds, the shadows of the Georgian façades stretched and contracted like a time lapse video - the Spanish Town Square sat enclosed in a time warp as the world whizzed past. Home to Jamaica's finest historical buildings, the brick-and-mortar structures stand testimony to an opulent, sophisticated era that was a turning point in history. The King's House in the People's Museum of Craft and Technology holds a treasure chest of artefacts. "The exhibit celebrates the great creativity, industry and self-reliance of the newly freed Jamaicans," said Johnathan Greenland, director of the National Museum Jamaica. The items showcasing the people's transition from slavery and struggling to building a life of self-reliance and freedom while paving the path for future generations. The exhibits in the museum assume as much historical and archival value as the building in which they are hous...

                                      Opposites attract, it is often said, a statement that might be a perfect fit to the marriage of the limitless creativity with the precision of technology. It might sound like a complex formulation, but, as chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, John Lasseter sums it, this is where "the art challenges the technology, and the technology inspires the art". The Centre for Arts (CFA) at the University of Technology (UTech), St Andrew, sits in the heart of the campus, a convergence of fine arts and culture with the sciences. "This (centre) is a kaleidoscope of music, dance, drama, drumming, steel pan, instrumental band, and visual arts," says Janice Lindsay, director at the Centre for the Arts. Add caption "The facility," Lindsay continues, "Has developed into a fusion between technology and art." ...